Photosynthetic pigments: perplexing persistent prevalence of 'superfluous' pigment production

Abstract

Phycobilins function as light-harvesting pigments in most cyanobacteria and red algae. Although green cyanobacteria of the genus Prochlorococcus express genes encoding enzymes that direct the synthesis of phycobilins, these pigments do not appear to play a role in light harvesting in Prochlorococcus. Now, it is shown that cyanophages infecting Prochlorococcus also contain genes for phycobilin-synthesizing enzymes, and these are expressed in Prochlorococcus, raising further questions as to the role of phycobilins in the host and the virus.